Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-06
GLADSTONE SPEAKS.
The Grand Old Man Forces the Majority
to the Wall

The Grand Old Man Forces the Majority
to the Wall.
LONDON. May 5th.-In the House of
Commons this afternoon consideration of
the question of the breach of privilege in
the Times Dillon case was resumed. No
member rising to speak on the motion of
Lewis, that the conduct of the Times was a
breach of privilege. and that the House
should take notice OF it. Speaker Peel put
before the House the amendment of Sir
Edward Clark, Solicitor-General, that the
House decline to treat the Times publica-
ton as a breach of privilege. The Parnell-
ties at once challenged division. This
resulted in a vote of 297 in favor of the
amendment to 219 against it. The amend
ment thus became a substantive for the
motion. Bradlaugh then resumed the de-
bate
Gladstone rising, he was loudly cheered.
He moved as an amendment that COM
mittee be appointed to inquire into the
charge of willful falsehood against Dillon
in the Times on Monday. He said he did
not intend to suggest that the inquiry go
beyond the article referred TO. He objected
to Lord Randolph Churchill calling him
the leader of the party of separation. He
perfectly understood why Lord Randolph
did not call it the party of Home Rule.
There was future before Lord Randolph.
III Nil4Sh tiIC lllS plduS nlgnI
as convenient to propose. [Qheersl Turn
ing to the question of privilege, he said it
was unfortunate that the Government pre-
posed the present step against an Irish
member while inflicting upon the Irish peo-
ple--by means of q permanent coercion
bill
THE BRAND OF PERPETUAL DIsHoNoR.
Why take the case into a Court of law !?
Was it certain that Dillon would get YER
dict, whatever might be the proof. in a case
where Parliament had declared the charges
against the member was no breach of priyi-
lege? Nearly thirty years ago he went as
Commissioner to the Ionian Islands. The
Times then said the Ionian Assembly was
committing treason, and that the Commits
sloner was aiding and abetting the Assem-
bly,. He thought these charges required
redress. He took the best advice on the
subject, but all his advisers said he could
not depend upon securing a fair verdict The
Irish members would be in a still.more ua-
favorable position In a jury trial, and it was
no wonder they preferred the tribunal of
the House. The House was perfectly
competent tribunal-indeed, the only com
plete one.
PRECEDEETS CITED.
Precedents are all on the side of the ap-
pointment of a committee. There was the
case of Butt, in 1854, when il was held that
the accusation that members were hungry
for places to which were attached salaries
and pensions, deserved inquiry. After
citing number of other precedents, in all
of which the charges were less grave than
brought against Dillon. he challenged the
Coy eminent to establish a single precedent
where prosecution could be ordered with
out the House having previously con-
demned the act upon which the prosecu-
ton was based. He appealed to
Government to alter their detern;n-
alton, which otherwise might lead to
crisis of most serious and momentous i'm
portance. Irish members who have been
maligned to an enormous extent asked for
a particular course, which the majority re-
fused. forgetting that they We're acting
against minority representing the nation
[Parnellite cheers The Governmen could
yet, on grounds. Of reason, prudence and
precedent, accept this amendment, thus
showing the country that they had deter
mined to at least give the Irish members
full justice-even indulgent justice-seeing
that their honor and character are at stake.
ICheers